About a year ago, Tom McArthur and his friend Phil Tyler created a discussion group that they initially called Leaders without Labels. The idea was that people with differing political beliefs can meet and talk about issues on which they disagree and yet still respect and honor the other. Tom takes it from here.
Tom McArthur: We meet once a month to talk about what’s going on in our lives and about what’s in the news. I extended an invitation to my friend Doug Nadvornick to join us. Together, we’ve nurtured an idea that a discussion group like this might work on the radio. Not long ago, we changed the name of the group to Spokane Plus One, to reflect the notion that each of us should bring a friend to join the discussion. And so we invite you to listen in to this conversation and perhaps join us on the radio for a future discussion.
Doug Nadvornick: This is our pilot program and it’s very timely. Recently, we heard the news that Washington State University student and football player Tyler Hilinski shot and killed himself in his apartment. When the news broke that night, it hit me hard. I never met Tyler, I don’t know his parents. And yet, as a father myself, it struck me that could have been one of my kids. And I immediately thought of Phil Tyler, whose son recently ended his own life. Just the week before, this group had taped this discussion that started with that tragic event and morphed into something much deeper.
**Scroll down for suicide awareness/prevention resources**
*Music in this program was performed by Stringspace.
